April 1, 2026

Congratulations to the 2024 Crystal Mic Award winners

2 years ago

The Crystal Mic awards will be handed out April 18 at the INBA Best of Broadcast Awards dinner.

Congratulations to all of the winners who took home first-place trophies and second-place plaques for the 2024 Crystal Mic Awards, honoring the best broadcast journalism in Illinois over the past year.

The awards were handed out on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, during the INBA’s Fall Convention in East Peoria.

SMALL MARKET TV

Best Station:
First place: WREX
Paul Davis Best Newscast:
First place: WTVO Staff
Second place: WREX 13 News Team
Best Digital Presence:
First place: WREX
Best Reporter:
First place: Lizzie Seils, 25 News
Second place: William Ingalls, WREX
Breaking News:
First place: WREX
Investigative Report:
First place: Lizzie Seils, 25 News
Second place: William Ingalls, WREX
Writing:
First place: Deron Molen, WAND
Second place: Jenna Webster, WQAD
Sports Reporting:
First place: Blake Hornstein, WHBF
Second place: Patrick Cunningham, WMBD
Best Weather Operation:
First place: WIFR, Mark Henderson, Aaron Wilson and DJ Baker
Second place: WREX Weather Team
Use of Videography:
First place: Kyle Vincent, 25 News

SMALL MARKET RADIO

Best Station:
First place: WNIJ
Second place: WCBU
Best Newscast:
First place: WNIJ Staff
Second place: WTAX News Team
Best Digital Presence:
First place: WGLT
Second place: WCBU
Best Reporter:
First place: Jane Carlson, Tri States Public Radio
Second place: Lyndsay Jones, WGLT Radio
Investigative Report:
First place: Jane Carlson, Tri States Public Radio
Second place: Farrah Anderson, Illinois Public Media
Writing:
First place: Peter Medlin, WNIJ
Second place: Lauren Warnecke, WGLT
Sports Reporting:
First place: Charlie Schlenker, WGLT
Podcasting:
First place: Welcome to Forgottonia, Tri States Public Radio Host: Rich Egger
Second place: Dialogue, Illinois Public Media Host: Kennedy Vincent
Use of Sound:
First place: Tri States Public Radio Jane Carlson “Piersen Strong”
Second place: Tri States Public Radio Jane Carlson “Book Brigade”

LARGE MARKET TV

Best Station:
First place: ABC7 Chicago
Second place: KSDK
Paul Davis Best Newscast:
First place: KSDK
Second place: ABC7 Chicago
Best Digital Presence:
First place: ABC7 Chicago
Second place: KSDK, Anne Stegen
Best Reporter:
First place: Mike Bush, KSDK
Second place: Justina Coronel, KSDK
Breaking News:
First place: Eric Horng and Tre Ward, ABC7 Chicago
Second place: Eric Horng and Cate Cauguiran, ABC7 Chicago
Investigative Report:
First place: Chuck Goudie ABC7 Chicago
Second place: Jenna Barnes and Kevin Doellman, WGN-TV
Writing:
First place: Mike Bush, KSDK
Second place: Eric Horng, ABC7 Chicago
Sports Reporting:
First place: Mike Bush and Tom Stasiak, KSDK
Best Weather Operation:
First place: KTVI-TV Weather Department
Second place: ABC7 Chicago Staff
Use of Videography:
First place: Brian Ledford, KTVI

LARGE MARKET RADIO

Best Station:
First place: WBBM
Second place: St. Louis Public Radio
Best Newscast:
First place: Abby Llorico, St. Louis Public Radio
Best Digital Presence:
First place: St. Louis Public Radio
Second place: WBBM
Best Reporter:
First place: Nancy Harty, WBBM
Second place: Jason Rosenbaum, St. Louis Public Radio
Breaking News:
First place: Nancy Harty, WBBM
Investigative Report:
First place: Jason Rosenbaum, St. Louis Public Radio
Second place: Kavahn Mansouri, Kate Grumke, St. Louis Public Radio
Writing:
First place: Lisa Fielding, WBBM
Second place: Marissanne Lewis-Thompson, St. Louis Public Radio
Podcasting:
First place: Danny Wicentowski, St. Louis Public Radio
Second place: Elaine Cha, Ulaa Kuziez; St. Louis Public Radio
Use of Sound:
First place: Carolina Garibay, WBBM
Second place: Jeremy Goodwin, St. Louis Public Radio

Jennifer Fuller
Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs, John A. Logan College

INBA is not only a great networking tool, it also provides advocacy and support for journalists in an ever-changing world.

Andrew Tanielian
Freelance Video Journalist

INBA taught me how to network in a meaningful way. The scholarship process taught me how to endure a hard job interview and thrive.

Ryan Denham
Digital Content Director, WGLT (Normal)

I recently attended my first INBA conference—and it won’t be my last. The combination of professional and student journalists learning together is electric. Everyone learns from each other and walks away with new friends (and LinkedIn connections). I know I did.

Alexis McAdams
Fox News National Correspondent

INBA played a huge part in preparing me for my broadcasting career. The INBA conventions connect students with on-air talent and news directors who give feedback on now to improve your work. Through relationships I made at those conventions, I was able to obtain my first on air reporting job.

Jeff Bossert
Morning Edition Host, WVTF, Roanoke, Virginia

When I was working in radio for the first time, I had no idea whether I could truly handle the demands. But INBA made me curious and want to improve. Even now, when I’ve maybe worked a lot of hours or planned some stories that didn’t come together for one reason or another, what I learn from an INBA conference gets me re-invigorated about the business.

Mike Miletich
Capitol Bureau Reporter, WAND-TV, Decatur

Joining the INBA was one of my best life decisions. I met some of the best broadcast journalists while I was still a college student. Plus, I ended up getting a job through the connections I made!

Michelle Eccles McLaughlin
Public Relations Account Manager, Horace Mann Insurance

INBA is an organization that really caters to continuing education for professionals. It offers a relatively inexpensive way to learn new things, reinforce best practices and network.

Bob Roberts
Retired, WBBM-AM, Chicago

INBA is as much about friendship and as it is about achieving common goals. It provides two things individual newsrooms cannot: in-service training, and the ability to speak out on issues affecting the profession. But most of all, it brings newspeople together.

Molly Jirasek
News Director, ABC57, South Bend, IN

One of my top goals in my career was to get to Chicago. Thanks to INBA I met Margaret Larkin. She remembered our great conversations about Chicago and first alerted me to a job opening in the city I might be interested in. Lo and behold, I got that job! INBA helped me reach my dream.

Nora Baldner
Professor, Quincy University

The support INBA gives to student journalists is vitally important as we all discover how technology is changing news dissemination, INBA monitors and actively encourages truth, transparency and accountability from students and their universities.

Aaron Eades
Former Morning Anchor at WCIA-TV, Champaign

As a student, it's often difficult to picture what working in the real world will be like. For me, the INBA bridged that gap by giving me the chance to talk to professionals who used to be in the same shoes I'm in now.

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